Hydrant



tlrrnn STATES EDWARD M. ZERBE, OF LEWISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

HYDRANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,933, dated July 13,1880.

Application tiled April 17, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWD. M. ZERBE, a citizen of the United States,residing' at Lewistown, in the county of Mifflin and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iuHydrants 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description ot' the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section ot'the hydrant broken in cross-section Fig. 2, a detached side view of thevalve; Fig. 2', a bottom view thereof; Fig. 3, a side view ot' the valveboxing and seat; Fig. 3', a bottom view thereof; Fig. 4, a detachedbottom view of washer beneath the valve-seat; Fig. 5, a detached sideview ot' the detachable extension of the'casing.

My invention relates to hydrants 5 and it consists in the constructionhereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying dra-wings, the letter A indicates the casing of thehydrant, it being made in two parts in cross-section, the upper portionbeing of wood, iron, or other suitable material, and the lower portionof cast-iron, or otherwise formed olf' any suitable material.

The hollow valve-rod B is connected at its upper end to the spout C, asshown, the spout extending through the hydrant-casing and being free toturn horizontally in a slot formed therein, and is connected at itslower end to the hollow valve D, it being screwed therein and held fromturning by a thumbscrew passed through the valve and made to impin geagainst the rod. This valve is formed near its upper end with a llnnge,a, and on its sides, extending a short distance from the dan ge, are twolugs, d. The body of the valvechamber is somewhat enlarged and isprovided with several orices in its sides for the escape of waste water,and its bottom is perforated to admit water into the valve from below.This valve has a washer, E, of brass, copper, or other metal against thelower face of its bottom, and which is held thereto by means of a squareshouldered and headed bolt, F,

passed through the two, and also by means of a nut, G, screwed onto saidbolt. This bolt also passes loosely through the valve-seat, which formsa part ot' the valve-box, and then through another washer, H, whichbears against the bottom of the valve-seat, and is 'held thereto by anut screwed onto the end of the bolt. 4

A packing, o, ot leather or other suitable material, is preferablyplaced between the nut at the end ot' the bolt and the lower washer, andthat part of the bolt that Apasses through the lower washer is formedwith square shoulders, so that when the valve and the washer E areturned the washer H will also be turned. Bothwashers E and H, and alsothe valveseat, are formed with corresponding perforations or ports, asillustrated in the drawings.

The valve D is fitted in a box, I, the bottom J of which constitutes thevalve-seat. The lower exterior ot' this box is threaded and screwed intoan extension, K, which is screwed into the lower end of casing A, asindicated.

A ilange, c, on the valve-box rests on the top edge ot' the extension K,and a portion of the upper edge of box I is cut away or recessed, asshown in Fig. 3, so as to form shoulders L, into which recesses the lugson the valve tit, and between which shoulders they play when the valveis turned to open or cut off the supply of water, and against which theybear when'the valve is turned in the operation of separating the parts,as hereinafter described.

The valve-box is provided with openings in its sides, corresponding tothose in the valve, and its sides are also recessed, so as to form achamber, j', between the box and casing A, in which latter there isformed one or more openings for the escape ol' the waste water thatpasses out of the valve and through the valvebox into chamber f.Suitable packings j, of leather or other material, lit between the Valveand valve-box, as shown.

The top of the hollow valve-rod is closed above the discharge-spout bythe cap M. from the top of which there projectsvertically a rod, N,around which there is tted a coiled spring, O, the same resting on capM. On this same rod, and resting on the spring O,

IOO

is a nut, I?, threaded exteriorly and provided with a series of lateralcavities adapted to receive any suitable instrument inserted through anopening in the hydrant-cap Q, for the purpose of turning the nut, andthereby increasing or decreasing the pressure of the spring on thevalve-rod, whereby the valve D is set and the pressure of water from thesame is relieved and the wear on the valve lessened.

The cap Q ot' the hydrant is hollow, to allow the rod N, sliiring O, andnut P to fit therein, and it is threaded interiorly. so that thethreaded nut I? may be screwed up and down therein, and it is bolted orotherwise securely held to the top of the hydrant, as illustrated.

In operation, to turn the water on,the spout C is turned suciently farto bring the ports in the valve D and washers E and H opposite the portsin the valve-seat, which is determined by the ow of Water, which flowsfrom the main in the direction indicated by arrows in Fig. 1. I'Vhen thewater is to be turned 0H the spout is further turned in the same orcontrary di-v rection until the ports in the valves and Washers areremoved from those in the valve-seat and the ports in the latter closed.This last movement brings the ports in the side of the valve oppositethose in the valve-box, and any water in the valve will then pass outthrough said side ports and those in casing A.

When the hydrantA is to be repaired the water is turned ott' from themain, and spout C and that portion ot' the casing above the ground areremoved, and thevalve-rod turned until the lugs on the valve are broughtinto contact with the shoulders on the valve-box, and then continued tobe turned until the valvebox is unscrewed from its connection with theextension K, after which the parts are lifted out of the casing.

No excavating is necessary in repairing the hydrant.

The several parts of the hydrant are made of any suitable material, aresimple in construction, cheap of manufacture, ettective in operation,and the hydrant is non-freezing.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. The valve D and box Iand valve-seat J, in combination with washers E and H andconnecting-bolt F, formed with shoulders, as described, the parts beingarranged to operate as set forth.

2. The combination of valve D, provided with lugs (l, valve-box I,provided with shoulders L, and extension K, the valve and its box beingheld together by suitable means, and the box being screwed into theextension K, so as to be separated therefrom, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

3. The combination of casing A, valve D, formed with lugs, box I, formedwith shoulders, and hollow valve-rod B, the valve and its box beingprovided with ports and held together and adapted to be removed withoutcasing A, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, With valve-rod B, its connecting valve-ports, cap M,androd N, of the spring 0, threaded and recessed nut P, and slotted capQ, the parts being adapted to operate` as described.

In testimony whereof I afIx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD M. ZERBE.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J. HIBSHMAN, ADoLPH P. BOEHNER.

